Chechen national costume

The Caucasus is a very multinational region of Russia. Side by side, various peoples coexist here, closely interacting and exchanging experience accumulated over centuries.

The national Chechen costume is a vivid example of the unique creativity of folk craftsmen, an example of ancient customs, evidence of the deep interaction of the Chechen people with neighboring peoples. The national costume reflected not only the lifestyle of the highlanders and their traditions, but also spiritual values ​​and faith.

The Chechen people are distinguished by deep respect and reverence for their ancestors, therefore the national costume is not kept in museums, but rather widely used in everyday life.

The lifestyle of the Chechen people is directly related to materials that have long been used in the manufacture of national clothes. The fabrics were spun from sheep's wool; fur and leather of local animals were widely used.

Cloth, felt - everything was own production. All costumes were made only on their own. Almost every woman knew how to sew or spin. The craftsmanship in the production of national clothes was passed down from generation to generation and was considered a matter of national pride.

The main parts of any men's suit were pants and an elongated half-caftan (beshmet). Pants had a cut, narrowed down so that it was convenient to tuck them into boots.

Beshmet is a semi-caftan tailored from lightweight fabric and served as a body shirt. Beshmet tightly fit the figure of a man to the waist, and below it expanded almost to the knee. This form perfectly emphasized the slimness and muscularity of the figure of a Chechen man.On the chest, the beshmet should always be tightly fastened with special buttons, nodules. The same buttons adorned the cuffs of the tapered sleeves of the half-caftan.

Beshmet was used both as home clothes and as festive. The difference was only the fabric used. A simple cotton fabric was used for the everyday option, and an expensive multi-colored satin for the festive one. Despite the tight fit of the beshmet on the figure, he was always comfortable and did not hamper the movements of the man. Therefore, such clothes were also used for uniforms of troops.

Circassian is a similar in appearance and cut with a beshmet part of a men's suit. Circassian functioned as festive clothing, so it was always made of more expensive materials. Usually used the best quality cloth. Cherkesska was worn over a beshmet, repeating its shape. Narrow to the waist, it extended downward and covered the knees. Unlike the beshmet, the Circassian buttoned only on the belt.

The most interesting detail of these clothes were gazyrnitsy, which were located on both sides of the chest. They served to store spare cartridges. Currently, the direct purpose of this part is no longer necessary, however, it is still present as a decoration for clothes.

Burka was made only by women, and only the best of the craftswomen had this right. For production, only high-quality sheep wool was used.

The value of a burka is hard to overestimate. In the unpredictable conditions of the highlands, this warm and windproof cloak served as clothing, and bedding, and a blanket.

The traditional costume was supplemented with a headdress - a hat, and leather boots to the knee, where men tucked their boots. Papakha is a symbol of the honor and dignity of a Chechen man. They made it from natural sheepskin. She could be long-haired or short-haired (astrakhan). The cap was inherited, and if the man did not have sons, then the cap was passed with great respect to the most respected man of the clan.

Touching someone else's hat is forbidden so as not to offend the owner. Interestingly, in some cases, the cap could replace on a date a young man. A friend, taking the groom's hat, could replace his meeting with a girl. And she could talk to him, as with her lover.

Papakhs are now the constant headdress of Chechens, having stood up against the pressure of modern fashion.

An obligatory element of the costume was also a leather belt. Decorated with metal inserts, it was used to carry cold steel or firearms.

A Chechen woman is modesty itself, chastity and beauty. Girls never show their bodies to prying eyes. This behavior is reflected in the cut of a traditional costume.

Women's costume is very diverse in color. Older women wear clothes in calmer colors, and girls put on dresses of a wide variety of colors and shades, decorated with gold and silver threads and expensive stones.

Women's outfit consists of four required parts.

It had the form of a tunic and dropped to the very ankles. Narrow to the waist, it flared a little downward, forming light flowing folds. There was a small neckline on the chest, and a little collar with a small button covered the neck. The lower dress was always distinguished by very long sleeves reaching to the tips of the fingers.

Such a dress was allowed to be worn with loose harem pants and freely to go out, naturally, complementing the suit with an appropriate headdress.

The lower dress was modest, and special bibs were used to decorate the women. They were ordered from the craftsmen and worn sewn to the top of the tunic. For decoration used silver and gold threads, as well as precious and semiprecious stones. The appearance of the bib reflected the material well-being of the family.

It looked like a caftan or a long bathrobe. It had no collar and opened its chest so that the beautiful bibs were clearly visible. At the waist, it was fastened with small hooks, as a result of which the female figure acquired a very feminine shape.

The top dress was very beautiful. The most expensive and beautiful fabrics were used - brocade, morocco, silk, satin, velvet. It was decorated with luxurious embroidery, stones, beads. The floors of the skirt diverged like two petals, which gave along the grace more.

Such an outfit was characteristic only of young girls, and adult women dressed more modestly.

The head of the Chechen woman was necessarily covered with either a scarf or a light shawl. After marriage, the girls put on a special bag where they removed their hair - a chukhta. A scarf for a woman was just as important as a hat for a man. He symbolized purity and chastity.

The belt for the woman was very important. For him they used silver, gold, precious stones. He was inherited, and his mother was given the first belt to his daughters before the wedding.